A place to cry
by lizzabet
Summary: "How are things in Buffalo?" Dylan had asked. "There's this guy…" she had replied. Valerie had never had any luck with love. This time things would be different, and she was finally happy. Though soon everything changes. The jealousy, the controlling behavior, the snide comments... She had sworn to never stay in a relationship like this, but what if you can't leave?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my very first Beverly Hills fanfic... I wanted to explore how Valerie became the person she was in the series finale and the man she had met... I was going to write a happy fic but I'm really not good at those. I had to change some stuff like how the show ended. I really ship Valerie and David so for the sake of this fanfic, Kelly and Brandon is getting married instead. Other pairings will be Brenda and Dylan. I've already written eight chapters because I was really excited about this. This first chapter is like a prologue for this story that tells you about Valerie's life between leaving BH and the wedding.**

**Now, enjoy!**

Prologue

Valerie had grown a lot as a person since moving away from Beverly Hills and back to Buffalo. She had made amends for all the bad stuff she'd done to the others and apologized. Though, she didn't feel like she was always at fault. Of course, the lying and manipulating behavior had pushed people away, but she'd never really gotten a chance in the first place. Kelly kept turning them all against her and in defense she had tried to make their lives as miserable as her own. All she wanted was to be loved and happy.

The relationship she'd had with David really helped her and even if she was pissed off when he broke up with her after she told him everything, she now understood what he meant. After what happened with her father she hadn't dealt with any of it. All she knew at the time was that she needed to get the hell out of there.

Out of that house.

Out of that school.

Away from all the bad memories.

They shipped her off to her old friends in Beverly Hills and a part of her was happy about it because she'd always envied Brenda's normal and perfect life. For the first time she would be able to sleep through the nights and study and bring friends home. Everything would be different.

But she just couldn't be happy there. Everyone was just squeaky-clean, which she knew she needed in her life. Looking back, she knew Ginger had been a bad influence from day one, but she was one of the only friends she'd ever had and helped her toughen up.

When she wasn't happy she just couldn't stand seeing everyone else so obnoxiously happy.

So when she went back to Buffalo she knew she needed to take David's advice and talk to someone professional. She should've done that as soon as she'd shot her father in the head and arranged the crime scene to look like a suicide, which everyone believed of course.

Her therapist was amazing. She made Valerie keep a journal where she could write down everything she was feeling and how she had felt all those years of abuse. She wrote a letter to her father, pouring out everything she wished she'd been brave enough to tell him when he was still alive. Valerie had shared every little thing she'd caused her friends on the west coast and she'd also written apology letters to each and every one of them, none of which she had sent of course. Perhaps when she was strong enough she would share them with the attended receivers, even if they already had forgiven her; how they could've done that she would never understand.

She was full of self-hatred, but therapy was helping her to slowly learn to like herself, maybe even love. At first, she had struggled with the decision of telling her therapist about what really happened that night her father died, but she'd done it and she wasn't sure if it was because the therapist wasn't allowed to tell anyone or if the woman just understood why Valerie did what she did. Everyone who knew told her it was self-defense and telling the police would just stir up trouble. She would have to sit down in court and tell everyone exactly what happened to her. She'd already gone through that once when Josh had drugged her and Noah had sex with her, and she had come out as the bad person.

The first year back in Buffalo Valerie had chosen to only focus on herself.

To heal.

To be happy.

And she finally reached that place where she could say that life was worth living. No more gut checks by a cliff. Her therapist even cleared her for dating.

Of course, her therapist couldn't actually decide if Valerie could date, but that's the deal they had made. Valerie didn't want to jump into anything without knowing that she was mentally okay.

She met Matthew during work. Valerie had gotten a job at a women's shelter where she could help women and children who had escaped an abusive family situation. Matthew was a detective who was working on one of the cases and the two of them hit it off almost instantly. They exchanged phone numbers and went on their first date the following Friday.

They actually had a lot in common and she had a surprisingly good time, which she believed he did too because he called her that same evening, after dropping her off, to plan their second date. And they kept seeing each other, taking things slow because she didn't want to rush into anything. She didn't want to mess up this relationship like she did with everything else. Eventually he asked her to move in with him and she said yes, after discussing this with her therapist of course. Nothing would go wrong this time. She was finally in a happy relationship with a man she loved more than anything else and they lived in a beautiful two-story house, an old family home he'd moved into when his grandfather passed away. Perfect for their future family he'd said.

When returning home from work one day, she found a single white envelope in the mail box and her fingers reached for it. She waited to open it until she got inside, and a smile stretched across her face when she saw the invitation.

Save the date for Brandon and Kelly's wedding.

Two years ago, she probably would've been upset by this information, hell she wasn't too happy the last time the two of them decided to get hitched, but that event had been cancelled. This time she wanted them to go through with it, to see the two of them happily married, just like she might be one day. Everything was going so well with Matthew after all. Now that her life had picked up she found herself excited about going back to the west coast and meet everyone again. Talking to her therapist and Matthew about some of the memories had actually made her miss them, even Kelly.

"Honey, I'm home," Matthew called as the front door slammed shut.

"In here," Valerie said from the kitchen, putting down the invitation and pouring herself a glass of homemade lemonade. "How was work?"

"It was alright," he shrugged and sat down at the kitchen island, smiling gratefully at his girlfriend when she handed him a glass of that same lemonade. "I just wish we could nail that son of a bitch. We all know he beat the crap out of his wife, but she's too afraid to press charges. I'm just afraid that the next time we see her she'll be dead."

Valerie grimaced and leaned on the island. "That sounds rough. Have you tried to convince her to go to the shelter?"

"Yeah and she's thinking about it. Perhaps you can work your magic and convince her that she'll be safe when he's behind bars."

"It's easier said than done," Valerie said and took a sip. She knew from experience that when you're being abused you're still afraid of what that person might do to you even when they're behind bars. They could still have dangerous contacts out in the real world.

"Mhm…" Matthew agreed and finally noticed the wedding invitation between them. "What's this?"

"Oh, I've been invited to Brandon and Kelly's wedding next month," she said, smiling widely.

"I see. And you're going?"

"I wouldn't want to miss it. I'd really want you to come with me," Valerie said and sat down next to him, holding her glass of lemonade close to her lips.

"Do you really think that's a good idea? Going back there I mean. Don't you remember how they treated you?"

"Hun, I wasn't very nice to them either. I've kind of missed them actually," she frowned slightly and took a sip. "Besides they weren't all that bad."

"You mean your ex-boyfriend?" Matthew asked and Valerie was sure there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"You know he helped me a lot in the past. Without him I probably wouldn't have been the person I am today," she said, her fingers brushing his arm.

"Yeah, you've mentioned that before," he said shortly and stood up from his seat, walking around the island to put the glass in the dishwasher.

"But I was hoping you could come with me."

"I can't just take days off work like that."

The annoyance was still in his voice and she knew there was no use in having a discussion about this right now. She had already decided she would go with or without him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter! I'm glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this one too.**

* * *

Chapter 1

Valerie touched ground in Los Angeles two hours before the bachelorette party was supposed to take place. That would give her enough time to check into her hotel and change into something a little less comfortable than the clothes she'd travelled in. A part of her was nervous to see them again, still wondering if Kelly held a grudge against her. Though the woman had invited her to the bachelorette party too so she should be on her good side. Right?

No, Valerie was a different woman now. Happy. And she was looking forward to showing all of them how much she had changed. She also wanted them to meet Matthew, but he didn't seem too keen on meeting anyone from her old life. They hadn't discussed that more because she just didn't want him to be mad at her.

Grabbing her bag, she walked out of LAX airport and hailed a cab. Seeing the familiar city floating by her window, she sighed happily. When she left she never thought she'd actually miss this city and the people. But she lived there for a long time and she considered it her home just as much as Buffalo.

Outside the windows palm trees started to appear, letting her know that they were almost at the hotel. She recognized the streets she always drove down and the houses she always admired. The brunette brought out her phone and snapped a photo through the window, sending it to her old boyfriend and probably closest friend.

"Feels good to be back," she wrote under the picture.

Three dots soon appeared, indicating that David was writing a reply already. They disappeared for a second, but then returned just before his reply came.

"We've missed you."

Valerie knew there was no we in that statement and she had to say that the feeling was mutual. He was the one she'd talked to the most since going back to Buffalo, both on text and a phone call at least once a week. She had him to thank for her newfound happiness and she wanted him to know how much better she was now that she'd gone through therapy.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she wrote, a small smile tugging on her lips.

….

Valerie stopped in front of the door of the beach apartment and took a deep breath before knocking. If anyone would've told her she'd one day give Kelly a big bear hug, she would've laughed at them, but that's exactly what happened as soon as the blonde opened the door.

"Hey Val," she giggled, clearly already a bit tipsy.

The brunette looked around the room and was surprised, but overjoyed, to see Brenda in the bunch. She hadn't seen her childhood friend in so long and she hadn't expected her to be back for this wedding. Though it was her brother so she probably should've.

"Brenda!" Valerie exclaimed and the two of them hugged, probably a little too long.

Donna cleared her throat and held out a glass for Valerie which she gladly took. "You have some catching up to do," the redhead said before turning to the bride to be. "Time for the next game of the evening… Who's most likely…"

Valerie took a seat next to Brenda and sipped the champagne she had been given. Perhaps everyone was starting to get drunk already, but her presence felt as natural as anyone else. She didn't feel any sideway glances from any of them.

The game they were playing, Valerie hadn't played since ninth grade with her girlfriends when trying to get drunk. This time around she actually didn't get as many fingers pointed at her. They'd already covered who were most likely to have sex at various odd places, who were most likely to participate in a threesome and who was most likely the one to be married next, which all guessed Brenda. Valerie agreed that it was about time she tied the knot with Dylan.

"Who's most likely to…" Jackie spoke up, thinking about something to say, probably something just as dirty as the previous questions. "…experiment with BDSM."

Her daughter, the bride to be, almost spat out the champagne she had just sipped. "Mom!" she exclaimed and laughed along with the others who hadn't expected the older woman to say something like that. Fingers started going up, one at Mrs. Teasley, one at Valerie, but most were pointed at Felice Martin.

"I don't even want to think about that," Donna said, shuddering and took a large swig of her champagne.

"You heard my daughter… I'm not saying anything," Felice said, hiding a smirk behind her glass. Yes, the woman was getting drunk, just like everyone else in that room.

"Ew…" Kelly laughed and got up. "Let's agree to never do this again with family." She walked over to the kitchen and picked up the tequila. "How about some drinks?"

The women in the room raised their glasses in a 'Yes, please' and the bride to be started preparing strong margaritas. This was going to be a long night.

At two am the oldest women had decided to call it a night and gone back to their hotels. Valerie also felt ready to leave, but she just couldn't bother to move from the floor where she was sitting up against the couch. Kelly sat slouched in the armchair, her eyes focused on the liquid in her glass. Brenda was stretched out on the white sofa, her legs in Claire's lap, who sat on one edge of the furniture. Donna had chosen to stretch out on the rug, her body under the coffee table, while Andrea occupied the other armchair. All of them were absolutely smashed and every single movement made the room spin out of control.

"I'm never drinking again," Donna groaned, closing her eyes hard. "Why is my room so far away?"

"At least your bed is here," Valerie said, looking at the redhead with a tired smile.

"You can sleep here," Kelly offered. "As long as you don't read our diaries."

Valerie chuckled and took another sip of her drink. Was it another Margarita she was drinking? Or had they made something else? "I'm more into mystery novels now," she joked. The thought of reading Kelly's diary made her feel embarrassed. What was she thinking doing that?

"I'm glad you're here," Kelly slurred and put away her glass on the table. "And  
I'm sorry we never got to be friends before you know."

"Me too, Kel," Valerie sighed and was surprised when the blonde suddenly threw her arms around the brunette.

"I should go to bed," Kelly said, her words slightly muffled by Valerie's hair. "I'm getting married tomorrow." The woman stood up again and staggered away to her old room and stumbled into bed, without bothering to change out of her dress.

Valerie looked around the room at the other women, noticing that they had all fallen asleep. She stood up, slowly, not wanting to lose her balance. The room was still spinning after all. Grabbing her phone, she realized she had eleven missed calls from Matthew, and she grimaced slightly. She couldn't really call him back right now, but she opened a new message and told him she would call him in the morning. In her inbox she also found an unread message from David and a smile stretched across her face as she read it.

'_Everyone's passed out drunk. Tomorrow's gonna be painful. How's things over there?_'

She quickly typed a reply. '_We've had way too many margaritas. The room is still spinning._'

Surprisingly, three dots appeared, followed by David's message. '_Did you have fun though?_'

Valerie smiled at the thought and nodded, as if he could see that, while she replied. '_Yeah, I don't know why I was nervous. Shouldn't you sleep?_'

Three dots and then: '_You're a good person. I should. I just can't. Can't wait to see you tomorrow._'

For some reason tears welled up in her eyes. She wasn't used to anyone calling her a good person, she had never seen herself as a good person either. '_Thank you. Can't wait either. If we sleep time will go faster._'

'_Good point._' David replied quickly. Three dots appeared so Valerie kept herself from writing anything. Though the dots disappeared again for a second before a message came. '_Can't we meet now?_'

Valerie wanted nothing more than to do just that, having missed her best friend, but they had a wedding to attend in the morning. However, none of them played a very important part in the wedding so they could afford to be just a little tired. Right?

'_Where?_' she replied, chewing on her bottom lip.

'_I'll come to the beach. Bring blankets._'

Valerie suddenly didn't feel tired anymore as she walked over to the empty armchair and grabbed the two blankets hanging over the back. She sat down, clutching her phone, the blankets in her lap, as she waited for David to arrive.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have 9 chapters written so there's really no excuse! But here it is, finally! Hope you enjoy this! I almost teared up writing this because I love Val and David.**

**Chapter 2**

The air was a bit chilly that night, the wind from the coast blowing through Valerie's hair as they walked along the beach. David had arrived within thirty minutes of his last text and had texted her to come out, just so he wouldn't disturb the other guests who currently occupied the beach house. They didn't want to lie down right outside of the house, so they decided to walk for a bit, enjoying each other's company.

"I can't believe you're here," David said, holding one arm around Valerie's shoulder. He'd given her the biggest hug when she came out and she had returned it, happily.

"I can't either," she sighed and smiled up at him. The world had stopped spinning and the fresh air almost seemed to sober her up.

"You didn't bring Matthew?" he asked her, though he hadn't really liked him, even if they'd never met. It wasn't jealousy exactly, he was just trying to look out for Val, knowing she didn't have the best track record with men. Hopefully he could meet him and really seize him up, to get to know all of him and his intentions.

Valerie shrugged. "Nah, he couldn't get off work."

"He's a detective, right?"

"Yes, that he is," she nodded. "You'll have to come to Buffalo soon and meet him." She shoved him playfully.

David was happy to just meet Valerie right now. He needed her as a friend just as much as she needed him.

The pair placed one of the blankets on the sand when they were far enough away from the house and any prying eyes, before sitting down and wrapping the second blanket around their bodies to keep themselves warm.

"So, what did you do tonight?" the brunette woman was the one to ask.

"Oh, the usual… drank too much beer, watched a stripper dance, ate some chips…" he hummed, making Valerie laugh.

"A stripper? Really?" she shook her head and looked up at the stars. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"And how was your evening?" David asked and looked at her.

"Didn't you already ask me that?" she met his eyes, a small smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, but I didn't get any details," David pointed out.

"It was nice seeing Brenda again," she started. "I haven't seen her since we were kids. I got a big hug from Kelly, though probably because she was already drunk. I mean she also said she wished we were friends."

"Maybe she did? You're a new person now, remember? Not that you weren't lovable before, but…"

"Thank you. I know I've said it before, but thank you," she interrupted him and kissed his cheek.

"For what?" David chuckled slightly, a small smile plastered on his lips. A shiver ran through his body and he pulled his friend closer for heat.

"Just everything. If it wasn't for you, I would've never talked to someone and I wouldn't be where I am now." She'd thanked him plenty of times before over the phone, and he was the only one who'd gotten to hear the letters she wrote. Not even Matthew got to read them. She probably trusted David more than anyone.

"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if you had stayed here?" David wondered. He'd asked himself that plenty of times. Before she went back to Buffalo things had been tense, but as they were saying goodbye all that love he felt for her just came rushing back and he questioned himself if he'd done the right thing by asking her to get professional help. He knew how much she'd loved him too so perhaps they could've worked things out.

"Sometimes… But you know what I was like. Everything I hadn't dealt with came flooding back and I was a mess. I wasn't especially fun to be around," she couldn't help but to laugh at the memory. She didn't blame him for ending things and telling her he wasn't enough.

"I shouldn't have given up on you… On us," he said sadly, his eyes finding their focus on her shoulder. "You had finally opened up to me… about everything… and I let you down. I acted like I couldn't be with something who… you know… but that wasn't the problem. It was never the problem. I was just scared… I just felt like I wasn't enough… Like I was failing you…"

Valerie brought two fingers under his chin to force him to look at her. "I know I was mad at you for breaking things off and yes, I did believe you were disgusted with me after I…

"Valerie, I really…"

"No, let me finish… I thought you dumped me because you didn't want to be with someone as broken as me, but I understand now why you did it. I know that you were just looking  
out for me and you really helped me get better. I finally saw a therapist after years of pushing everything under the rug, I finally dealt with everything that happened. And I'm finally okay. Actually, I'm more than okay. I have an important job, a stable relationship and great friends. And I have you to thank for all of that."

"Yeah… and I'm happy for you," David said and smiled at her. He really was glad to see her like this. Healthy, happy and very stable. "I just can't help but to wonder." He turned his head upward toward the sky, realizing that the sky was starting to brighten and the stars they'd seen before were disappearing. Not disappearing, precisely, but they weren't as visible as before.

Valerie's phone started vibrating and she was quick to grab it and check the caller ID. Matthew. He was probably on his way to work now.

"Hey, hun," she answered, pulling up her knees under her chin.

"Why didn't you pick up last night?" came his reply. Not even a hi first, just what sounded like an accusation.

"Sorry, babe," she apologized, though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. Matthew knew she was at Kelly's bachelorette party last night and would be busy. There was no reason to be mad at her. "Like I told you, I was at the bachelorette party."

"And you didn't have your phone?" he asked, his tone still harsher than she would've liked.

Valerie sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn't know if the problem was Matthew or the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, but she was starting to get a terrible headache. David looked at her concerned and stroke her back, a very comforting gesture.

"I left it in my purse," she sighed. "I wasn't about to use my phone during a party and I texted you as soon as…"

"Did you drink a lot?" he asked and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She didn't see what this had to do with anything. Maybe he was just making conversation? Maybe he was just asking about her night?

"I guess I had a few margaritas," she chuckled and glanced at David. A few was an understatement.

"Was there a stripper?" he continued to ask. This was seriously getting ridiculous.

"A stripper? No! It was just us girls," she told him. She wasn't about to tell him that she later decided to hang out with her best friend on the beach when everyone else had fallen asleep.

"Alright…" he seemed to calm down a little at that. "So what are you doing up this early?"

"Why are you calling this early?" she countered, teasingly.

"Just wanted to check in," he answered shortly. Of course she wished her man was here with her, but now that he wasn't she didn't want to hear from him if he would act like this during every conversation. She knew he was just checking up on her to make sure she didn't do anything he wouldn't approve of, like spending the morning talking to an ex-boyfriend alone on the beach. When he refused to come with her, he probably thought she wouldn't want to go alone, not after everything that had happened over here, and he seemed surprised, and annoyed, when she told him she'd booked the plane tickets.

"Well okay, mission completed," she told him, tilting her head back to look up at the sky once more. "I'll talk to you later." With those words she hung up the phone and threw it down on the blanket.

"You okay?" David asked. He hadn't liked the other man before and after this phone call, those feelings were just getting stronger. Something rubbed him the wrong way, and it wasn't just because Matthew was Valerie's new boyfriend and erased every chance they had to get back together.

Valerie groaned and buried her face into her hands and knees. "Yes, I guess he was just worried when I didn't pick up," she told him. "I don't get it… I gave him every chance to come with me and he didn't want to, so I don't see what his problem is. I love him so much, but right now he just irritates me."

"Perhaps some time apart will do you good," David suggested and Valerie hoped he was right. They had been spending a lot of time together lately so they were bound to get on each other's nerves.

"I think it's time to go back," she sighed instead of answering David. "They're all going to wake up soon and we have a wedding to attend."

"Right," David said and stood up. He held out a hand for Valerie to take and helped her get on her feet again. In silence they started to walk back to the beach house, just enjoying the other's company like they had been the entire morning. Like the gentleman David was, he followed her all the way to the door before leaving to get back to his own apartment, which apparently wasn't all that far away.

Quietly, to not wake anyone else, Valerie slipped into the house and tiptoed over to the kitchen to prepare some much-needed coffee. The brunette was happy they'd gotten a chance to talk, face to face, about everything. They'd had so much they still hadn't talked about, stuff that both parties rather wanted to discuss in the same room, or on the same beach in this case, instead of over the phone.

"Where did you go?" Brenda's groggy voice came behind her, causing her to jump. She didn't know why, though, since the house was full of people so she shouldn't have been surprised when someone talked to her.

"I just needed some fresh air. I can feel a hangover already," she laughed and Brenda joined, knowing that she too was suffering from one. Valerie wasn't sure why she left out the part where David had joined her, but she just didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. They were all adults now, though, but she was still afraid to go back into old habits. "Looks like you could also use some coffee."

"Yes, please!" Brenda said and sat down. Valerie poured the brown liquid into a cup and carefully gave it to her childhood friend. They too had a lot to catch up on, but Valerie had done all the catching up she could muster for one morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Valerie had stopped by the hotel to change into her dress for the wedding before heading toward the church. On her way, she decided that she needed to make one more stop and asked the driver to take her to 953 Hillcrest Drive, the house she had lived in for several years before moving back to Buffalo. She knew the guys still hadn't left for the church and she just felt the need to see them again. They had all been her friends at one time or another, and lover, but she did value their friendships more.

As the cab pulled up in front of the house, she hurried to pay him before stepping outside and almost running up the driveway to the front door. She gave the door two knocks and waited a second before opening the door. The house was almost quiet, but she could hear the distant sound of the men talking. Placing a hand on the railing, she ascended the stairs, one at a time and walked toward the voices, reaching the room just as one of Brandon's cufflinks fell to the floor. She stopped the golden accessory with her foot before bending down to pick it up. She looked at it for a moment before looking up at the guys in the room.

"Drop something?" she asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Hey, Val!" Dylan was the first to exclaim, pulling her into a big hug. The rest of them followed suit and she couldn't remember the last time she had smiled this big.

"You look great," Steve said as he let her go.

"So do you! I heard you're a dad now? I can't leave you alone for just a second before you go get yourself a family?" she joked. She had met Janet before she left, and she already liked the woman back then. Steve was lucky to have found her.

"Shouldn't you be with the girls?" Dylan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"We all know I've enjoyed your company a lot more," she said, causing the whole room to erupt into fits of laughter.

"That's true," Dylan nodded. "So tell me, how are things in Buffalo?"

Valerie smiled at the question. She had been prepared for that question and was excited to tell people about her new improved life. "Buffalo is good. There's this guy…" she said, a small, uninvited blush creeping up on her face.

"You look happy," Dylan commented and she was glad he'd noticed.

Last she heard about Dylan he had gotten back together with Brenda. They'd reconnected when he was travelling around the world, and she was going to move back to Beverly Hills too after her show had closed. Apparently their long distance relationship had been working really well and Valerie was extremely happy for them. They both deserved to be happy.

"I am," Valerie nodded and looked at Brandon who seemed to be all done. "So, don't we have a wedding to attend?"

Steve put an arm around Valerie and pulled out a camera. "First a group photo!" he said and the guys gathered around her before snapping a picture. First a normal one, and then a silly one, where Steve and Dylan surprised the only woman in the room by placing a kiss on each of her cheeks, making her laugh.

"You have to send me all of the pictures when you've developed them," Valerie told him as the five of them exited the room to finally let Brandon tie the knot.

The wedding was being held in a big church. Valerie was in awe as she entered, her eyes taking in the flowers along the aisle and the Christian icons decorating the windows. She spotted some people she'd gone to college with and gave them a short nod with a kind smile, continuing to the front to where the Walshes sat. Both Cindy and Brenda stood up to give her a hug before she could sit down next to Brenda. Jim Walsh, who sat furthest away from her simply gave her a nod and a smile, which she was satisfied with. The two of them hadn't gotten along very well when she lived under their roof and she wouldn't be surprised if he still held the same feeling of resentment toward her, even after she had grown as a person. Of course she didn't blame him for feeling that way because she could admit that she had been a handful when she first arrived to Beverly Hills.

More and more people entered the church and Valerie was surprised the soon to be married couple knew these many people. She quickly checked her phone to make sure it was on silent and sighed when she saw yet another missed calls. That was the third one this morning. No, she would not call him back until after the wedding reception. Her boyfriend knew very well that she was going to a wedding today. The brunette flipped the phone over and removed the battery before putting both back into the purse just as the wedding march started playing. Valerie stood up, along with all the others, and turned her attention to the beginning of the aisle. First came Erin, who had grown a lot since Valerie last saw her, throwing rose petals on the floor as she walked. She made a beautiful flower girl. Then followed the bridesmaids, first Donna and then Janet. She glanced over to the altar where Steve, Dylan and Brandon already stood, wanting to see the look on Steve's face as Janet entered, wearing a beautiful strapless lilac gown that hugged her curves perfectly and became wider at her ankles, just before it would hit the floor.

The two women reached the end of the aisle and stood to the side of the altar, clutching their bouquets and throwing all their attention on the bride that was just entering. Valerie wasn't surprised when Kelly's father wasn't the one leading her down the aisle, she wondered if he was even there or if he was still in prison. She hadn't followed up on that one actually. Instead, Nat was walking beside her, a huge grin on his face. The older man had been like a father to most of them, always serving them the best pie and coffee, and just being there when they needed him. Even if Valerie had been hard to like most of the time, Nat had never showed her anything other than love.

Kelly was a beautiful bride, but they all knew that from the last time these two were getting married, only this time Valerie appreciated that beauty. She was wearing a white gown, as traditional on one's wedding, which had lace covering her shoulders and arms. White fabric hugged her breasts and followed her slim waist, until it spread out like a waterfall from her hips down to the floor. Her hair was put up behind her head, with two wavy strands of hair framing her face. On top of her head she was wearing a long vail that was fastened with a tiara and flowed freely down to the floor, the lacey fabric covering the long white train, dragging behind the bride.

All eyes were glued on her as she finally reached the altar and Nat gave her a kiss on the cheek before handing her over to the groom. When thinking about it, this was a very sexist tradition where the father of the bride handed over his daughter to her new man, who now owned the woman as if she was some kind of property. Valerie shook her head to get rid of that thought because today that tradition did not mean that. Let's call it an occupational hazard.

The priest held out his hands, gesturing for everyone to sit down. Clearing his throat, he began his speech. "Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to celebrate…"

As the priest spoke, Valerie could finally feel the fatigue from staying up all night. Now wasn't that a dumb move? She wouldn't embarrass herself by falling asleep during a wedding. How would she be able to attend the reception too after this? She blamed David for all of it.

Her eyes flickered through the church, zoning out from whatever the priest was saying, trying to find something interesting to occupy herself with. She wasn't exactly a believer in God, even if Matthew had made her accompany him to church many Sundays when he didn't have to work and she did like the idea of a place where people could come together like this. And the church did make a beautiful venue for weddings, funerals and baptisms.

The priest finally finished and Donna stepped up to the podium to read a beautiful poem that Valerie was only half listening to.

(Insert a wedding poem)

When would this end? The redhead was soon done and stepped down to allow the ceremony to continue with the exchanged vows that of course, the bride and groom had chosen to write themselves, and they were just as cheesy as expected. The brunette stifled a yawn, not of boredom of course, as they moved on to the rings and finally the kiss that everyone had been waiting for, the end of this ceremony. The entire church erupted into cheers and stood up, applauding, even if this in most cases was frowned upon in a church setting.

The happy couple turned toward the crowd, grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. People started to leave their rows and exit the church, getting ready to shower the bride and groom with rise. Brandon and Kelly waited a moment before walking toward the exit, hand in hand, smiling at the friends who remained in their seats, applauding. The bridesmaids and best men followed behind, together with the closest friends and family who had been sitting in the front rows.

Valerie just followed everyone else's lead as she walked up the aisle.

"Did you fall asleep?" a familiar voice whispered.

"I came very close," she said and gave him the evil eye. "I don't know why I let you keep me up all night."

"Oh, come on! You enjoyed it as much as I did," he laughed and she couldn't do anything else than agree to that statement. "Now we just need to down a few shots and we'll be as good as new."

Valerie groaned slightly. "Is it bad that I just want to go to bed right now?"

"I'm right there with you," he admitted, throwing an arm around her. "But we need to at least stay for the cutting of the cake. Then you can go back to the hotel."

Valerie grimaced at that as they walked out into the sunlight. The summer breeze swept through her brown hair and she put a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. People were still cheering and throwing rise at the happy couple as they walked toward the car that was on standby. Brandon opened the door for Kelly and allowed her to get in before he disappeared behind her.

"Want a ride to the reception?" David asked and offered his arm to Valerie.

"Beats trying to get a cab," she smirked at him and hooked her arm through his.

He had tried calling her all morning, but she had ignored all of them. The fifth time he called, her was finally met by her voice, but from her voicemail. Valerie had turned her fucking phone of. Why? Was she too busy hooking up with David or one of the other men she used to fuck?

He clutched his phone harder, his knuckles turning white. God, he really wanted to hit something, or shoot. He was beyond furious at this point and he needed some relief. Grabbing his gun from the desk, he holstered it to his side and headed toward the shooting range. Matthew wasn't stupid. He knew his wife and had heard all the stories from when she lived on the west coast, and some he had read in the letters she'd carefully hidden in her closet. The way she had slept around and fallen for some, of course going back there would bring back all those feelings and she wouldn't be able to help herself.

Matthew checked in with the clerk before grabbing a pair of ear protectors and choosing an unoccupied lane. When she mentioned the wedding he knew he didn't want to visit her old friends, if you could even call them that. They hadn't kept in contact after all. By saying no, he had expected her to do the same, not wanting to go to that wedding alone. But a day later she had showed him the tickets and he had wanted nothing more than to smack her stupid grin right off her face.

Matthew emptied his round, every shot hitting the target right between his eyes. Of course it was more convenient for her to go to the wedding alone. Now she could do whatever she wanted with her ex-boyfriends without her current boyfriend holding her reigns.

Another round was quickly emptied and he reloaded the gun quickly. He could only imagine what she did last night. She told him there hadn't been a stripper, but he wasn't born yesterday. The question was, what more had happened with said stripper since she had to lie about him? Something had to be going on since she refused to answer his phone call and was up in the middle of the night. It wasn't like her to be up that late, even if she had partied.

Yet another round. And another. And another. Everything would be fine as soon as Valerie got home.


End file.
